Pen-support and hand-rest



(No Model.) I

L. D. HELLER.

PEN SUPPORT AND HAND REST.

No. 281,876- Patented July 24, 1883.

WITNESSES; INVENTOR.

' 06, fleew UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI D. HELLER, OF COLUMBUS,OHIO.

PEN-SUPPORT AND HAND-REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,876, dated July 24,1883,

Application filed'March 21,1883. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, L. D. HELLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,

5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pen-Supports andHand-Rests, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing-had therein to the'accompanying' drawings.

My invention relates to means for assisting a person to acquire the artof writing, and to prevent the strain upon the muscles of the wrist andfingers when in the act of writing, which also acts as a guide andsupport for the pen when writing,

' To this end the invention consists in a single piece of wire ofsuitable size for the purpose, curved at one end to form an open loop toencircle the forearm, then extending forward into a straight or curvedportion to support the wrist and ball of the hand, and finally curvedoutwardly to a coil, in which the pen or pencil is placed. i

The construction and operation will be hereinafter more fully describedin the specification, and pointed out in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device with a pen-holderinserted in the end coil and grasped by the hand. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5are perspective views of same, showing the differ-- ent ways ofsupporting the pen.

Referring more particularlyto the drawings, the end A is curved into anopen loop to encircle and support the forearm. The portion a forms asupport for the wrist, and the bend b a support and rest for the ball ofthe hand. The return-bend of b terminates in a coil, B, into which thepen-holder Ois placed. This coil, as shown in Fig. 1, comes immediatelyunder the forefinger, and usually midway between the end of theforefinger and the first joint of the thumb, the end of the thumbalways-pressing against the coil. stance the first and second fingersand the thumb are always used in grasping the penholder. In Figs. 1, 3,4, 5 the pen is held between the thumb and first finger, resting Inevery in-- against the secondfinger. In Figs. 2, 4, and 5 the pen-holderis held between the first and second fingers, with the end of the thumbagainst the coil. In Fig. 5 the third and fourth fingers are inserted inthe loop (1, the end of the thumb resting on the coil, the loop (1coming up over the third and fourth fingers back of the first joints.Thus I provide for nearly all the ways that different persons will holda pen-in writing. r

This device presents a guard or check on the movement of the hand bymeans of the muscles of the forearm, preventing the hand being extendedor drawn back to a greater extent than desired by the writer, an d thusgives uniformity in the movement, besides preventing the contraction ofthe muscles of the wrist and those muscles of the fingers near the ballof the hand. It is this undue extension of the hand and musclesdescribed which gives rise to pen-paralysis and the crampedfeelingcaused by constant writing. By my device the writing is all done bymeans of the muscles of the forearm, the hand and fingers being usedonly in holding the pen, and the fatigue incident to writing is avoided.I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A pen-supportand hand-rest consisting in a single piece of wire of suitable sizehaving a bent loop at one end to encircle the forearm, a coil at theopposite end to receive the forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEVI D. HELLER.

Witnesses:

W. O. HENDERSON, D. F. SAUM.

